Aden Durde has become a household name in the NFL’s growing international narrative, building what many refer to as an unofficial coaching tree that stretches from the United Kingdom to the biggest stage in American football. One of his most vocal protégés is former quarterback-turned-coach George Reynolds, whose journey exemplifies the possibilities that Durde’s mentorship can unlock. The last time I spoke with Reynolds was back in 2020, when he was still a teenager and the inaugural starting quarterback for the pioneering NFL Academy. At that point he was one of ten elite young athletes who had just taken part in the NFL Pro Bowl Skills Challenge in Orlando, competing head‑to‑head with American high‑school stars.
That experience marked a turning point for Reynolds, exposing him to the intensity of NFL‑level competition and planting the seeds for his future ambitions. After his stint at the Academy, Reynolds accepted a scholarship to the University of Ottawa in Canada, where he continued to hone his quarterback skills.
However, his path soon diverged from playing to coaching. Upon completing his college career, he returned to the Academy and began splitting his time between teaching aspiring athletes and working within the International Player Pathway (IPP) program—a pipeline that Durde helped design to give overseas talent a shot at the NFL.
During the most recent offseason, Reynolds also secured a coveted role with the Baltimore Ravens, further broadening his résumé. "I always knew coaching was something I wanted to do," Reynolds told Sky Sports.
"As an international player, the route to America felt like a massive wall. I wanted to break down that barrier for the guys who come after me because I’ve lived through the whole process.
If I can give someone a better opportunity than I had, that means everything to me. That’s really why I got into coaching, and the Academy has only helped me grow in that role. I feel inspired to take the next step and prove I can succeed at the highest level." Durde made history in February when he became the first British defensive coordinator to win a Super Bowl, and he has consistently spoken about creating a domino effect—encouraging more overseas coaches to follow his example.
Reynolds echoes that sentiment, saying, "I try to mirror what he’s done through my own journey. He was relentless. Whether it was an internship or a coaching gig, he grabbed every chance, learned, grew, and moved forward. He was ruthless in the sense that he knew his worth and pursued it.
That’s exactly where I want to be, and he’s been an incredible mentor throughout." Reynolds’ transition into coaching truly began when he returned from Canada and reached out to his former Kent Exiles teammate James Cook, now Senior Director of Player Development for the Cleveland Browns. Cook offered him a role at an IPP combine in London, and Reynolds seized the opportunity, waking up at 6 a.m.
to be the first on the table and staying until 11 p.m. to complete any task required. His dedication paid off, eventually earning him a position as assistant tight ends coach for the IPP program in the United States—a program originally conceived by Durde. Back in Europe, Reynolds joined the NFL Academy’s staff under head coach Steve Hagan.
Together they worked with players such as Patrick Murtagh, who, despite an injury that halted his time with the Detroit Lions, managed to secure an NFL roster spot a year later. When Hagan took the head coaching job at the Academy, he immediately invited Reynolds onto his staff, solidifying Reynolds’ role as a wide‑receiver and tight‑ends coach based out of Loughborough. Reynolds was part of the Academy’s inaugural class in 2019, a group that laid the groundwork for a revolutionary pathway for international athletes seeking U.S.
college scholarships and professional opportunities. Since its inception, more than 40 students have earned football scholarships in the United States, and 28 alumni are playing Division I football in the 2025‑2026 season. The current roster represents 20 nationalities, ranging from athletes who have never touched a football before to those who have left their home countries for the first time to train in the UK. Coaching such a diverse group demands a unique communication style.
"You have to learn to speak a different language to a kid who’s played the game for ten years versus a newcomer from Nigeria or a rugby player from Australia," Reynolds explains. "If I can teach the fundamentals of football to someone who’s never seen a playbook, it actually makes it easier when I later coach someone with years of experience.
The fundamentals become a universal language." Last offseason, Reynolds expanded his experience with a stint in Baltimore, working alongside then‑tight ends coach George Godsey and offensive assistant Danny Breyer—now the Browns’ passing‑game coordinator. He describes the experience as "one of the most valuable" of his career, emphasizing the importance of being around professional players, absorbing their teaching methods, and building a network that continues to provide mentorship and opportunities.
"Being in that environment showed me the level I need to reach to coach in the NFL," he says. "If I become a recognized name within those buildings, doors will open for me to take the next step. I love coaching at the Academy and would stay there forever if it were the right fit, but I also want to impact a college or NFL team and help them win.
If that means drawing up plays for the first year, I’m ready to do it. All I need is the right staff around me that will allow me to grow." Reynolds’ time with the Ravens was part of the Bill Walsh coaching fellowship—a program that mirrors the route Durde took when he first entered the NFL as an intern with the Atlanta Falcons in 2016 after a brief internship with the Dallas Cowboys in 2014‑15. Durde’s career progressed from the Falcons to a defensive‑line coaching role with Dallas, and then to defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks under head coach Mike Macdonald in 2024, where he helped craft one of the league’s most feared defenses on the way to a Super Bowl victory. His success has even earned him head‑coaching interviews this offseason.
Reynolds reflects on Durde’s relentless work ethic: "It’s not a surprise that he’s where he is now, but many people don’t see how hard he’s worked to get there. He’s an advocate for international football, and his journey is proof that you can build a career beyond the borders of the U.S.
You have to show your value, bring hard work, and prove you can contribute to an organization. That’s the lesson I take from him every day." Today, Reynolds stands among the brightest young coaching minds in the sport, eager to leave his own imprint on a game that is becoming increasingly global. With Durde’s legacy as a blueprint and the NFL Academy’s platform providing the tools, the next generation of international coaches is poised to reshape the landscape of American football, one innovative playbook at a time.